A Hard Gulp

 A hard gulp
I bend over the dishes
And my spine cries out
Why you bending over woman?


A hard blink
My son's warm hand
Cupping my cheek
Smile at me mommy
He says with a kiss

A hard thought
Lodged between my teeth
Can't spit... bad manners
Can't swallow...bad health
Words crowding behind
Craning their neck
Peering at the rim
Caught suddenly
In a sudden downpour
Slipping and sliding
Bobbing and hiding
Weaving through salt
To flow away forever...
Into silence...

Liquid death
Gulp, hard, swallow, steady....